Next headlamp will be.... Princeton Tec Remix Headlamp or Petzl Tikka XP 2

[bighest]

I have narrowed it down to two headlamps I like. Any remarks on the two? any body used both? are they fine to use with nimh rechargebles?

Thanks

 

[robostudent5000]

the battery door latch on the Remix has a reputation for breaking easily.

 

[carrot]

I have and like the XP2. I use the special Petzl li-ion pack with mine. I have not tried the Remix yet.

 

[Blue72]

My kids went through a number of princeton tec Fuel headlamps which has the same housing as the remix. They break fairly easily and the build quality is not all that great. I also received no response from the manufacturer regarding the issues.

I have then switched to Petzls which have held up much better

 

[shao.fu.tzer]

Hmmm... That's a shame to hear so many people have had problems with the Remix Pro... I can see that happening if the plastic were to become brittle with age maybe... I purchased one recently on a whim and it's been my go to headlamp, mainly because it's so light and handy. I firmly believe that if you were extremely careful every time you changed batteries, that you'd be OK.

I think the breakage issues come from people who over-lift the retention tab on the battery door, causing undue stress on it's little plastic tab. I wore it out in some pretty heavy rain the other day and it seems nicely water proof... It's got four modes - 2 white, 2 red (well, mine does) and is just about perfect for 90% of my headlamp needs.. It's my second favorite headlamp next to my Surefire Minimus... and honestly, it's more comfortable to wear and the added throw of the (Rebel?) LED with no diffuser makes it better for outdoor use... I just don't know if I trust it like I do the Minimus... I unfortunately have no experience with Petzl, though I'd like to try one of their headlamps out..

 

[robostudent5000]

in the US, you at least have the Princeton Tec warranty to fall back on. but the OP is in South Africa, and the Princeton Tec warranty is kind of useless there.

 

[Blue72]

Shao....its just not the battery door, its the end cap that cracks or pops off easily. And when it does you can see how cheap and thin the plastic is

Robo...After numerous attempts with PT. I never got a response.....I just moved on and Glad I did!

 

[robostudent5000]

Robo...After numerous attempts with PT. I never got a response.....I just moved on and Glad I did!

did you try calling? they've been pretty responsive the times that i've had to return stuff. they'll give you an RMA number over the phone. they don't seem to respond to email unless you already got an RMA number from them.

 

[Blue72]

did you try calling? they've been pretty responsive the times that i've had to return stuff. they'll give you an RMA number over the phone. they don't seem to respond to email unless you already got an RMA number from them.

In all fairness I did not. For several reasons.

1. The website does not say there was a certain procedure to handle warranty claims. I filled out the contact page on 3 separate occasions with no response. Why should I go through the extra hassle when other manufacturers offer better service or even a better product that I do not even have to contact them
2. Even if Princeton tec did fix the light. I no longer have faith in the product. Looking at the design you can see it will fail again.
3. Life is short. They were cheap enough to throw in the garbage and try something else

I hope this does not turn into a Princeton Tec bashing thread. I just wanted to share my experience with them, so others can make a more informed decision.

 

[bighest]

It looks like im gonna getthe petzl with all the :/ reviews about the princeton. Thanks for the advice

 

[robostudent5000]

In all fairness I did not. For several reasons.

1. The website does not say there was a certain procedure to handle warranty claims. I filled out the contact page on 3 separate occasions with no response. Why should I go through the extra hassle when other manufacturers offer better service or even a better product that I do not even have to contact them
2. Even if Princeton tec did fix the light. I no longer have faith in the product. Looking at the design you can see it will fail again.
3. Life is short. They were cheap enough to throw in the garbage and try something else

I hope this does not turn into a Princeton Tec bashing thread. I just wanted to share my experience with them, so others can make a more informed decision.

just in case you change your mind, the RMA procedure is explained in the warranty card that came with your PT lamp. here's the full text:

"If your light fails to operate, follow these simple steps:

1) Check batteries. Replace if necessary.
2) Contact Princeton Tec customer service at 800-257-9080 to request an RMA number to send your light in for repair or replacement. No warranty repairs will be accepted without an RMA number.
3) Return the light without batteries to: Princeton Tec, 5198 Rt. 130, Bordentown, NJ 08505. Postage due and freight collect items will not be accepted."

 

[Blue72]

They should put that on their website.

Like I said earlier, at this point I wouldn't even consider my kids using it anymore considering how poorly built it is. The construction of the Petzl only looks little bit better, but knock on wood....no problems so far.

 

[d1337]

I hate to be the guy that recommends a light that is not on your list but...
I had the remix and didn't like it. I have however had 4 of the Princeton Tec EOS's. They have all been great reliable lights. They are, in my opinion better than the Remix or Tikka XP2. For some reason the way that the light shines through the body of the XP2 really annoys me.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?317249-Princeton-Tec-EOS-7-years-on-the-market.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?294901-Princeton-Tec-EOS-Review

 

[bighest]

I hate to be the guy that recommends a light that is not on your list but...
I had the remix and didn't like it. I have however had 4 of the Princeton Tec EOS's. They have all been great reliable lights. They are, in my opinion better than the Remix or Tikka XP2. For some reason the way that the light shines through the body of the XP2 really annoys me.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?317249-Princeton-Tec-EOS-7-years-on-the-market.

haha there is always one!! i will look into it! thanks for the extra option.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?294901-Princeton-Tec-EOS-Review

 

[carrot]

I like the EOS a lot too. I don't know if I like it better than the XP2 though, the red mode is really nice when you don't want to disturb others or you want to read at night without killing your night adapted vision. But if red isn't important to you, the EOS is an awesome, solid light.

 

[Blue72]

I like the EOS a lot too. I don't know if I like it better than the XP2 though, the red mode is really nice when you don't want to disturb others or you want to read at night without killing your night adapted vision. But if red isn't important to you, the EOS is an awesome, solid light.

Which one would you say has a wider beam angle xp2 (without filter) or eos?

 

[robostudent5000]

Which one would you say has a wider beam angle xp2 (without filter) or eos?

Szemhazai has a very handy beam comparison thingamajig on his site. link. eos and xp2 are in there somewhere.

 

[carrot]

Which one would you say has a wider beam angle xp2 (without filter) or eos?

The EOS has a wider hotspot but less overall spill. The XP2 has a much narrower hotspot, but with more overall spill. However, in actual use it feels like the XP2 just has a narrower hotspot, with the spill seeming pretty good due to the wide and diffuse hotspot of the EOS (I have the 70 lumen Rebel model).

 

[PrincetonTec]

They should put that on their website.

Hate to bring an old thread back to life, but we all know how these things live on forever. Just wanted to chime in and say that the exact cited info is indeed located on the PTEC site: http://www.princetontec.com/contact_form/contact_us

Take care,
PTEC

 

[Blue72]

Hate to bring an old thread back to life, but we all know how these things live on forever. Just wanted to chime in and say that the exact cited info is indeed located on the PTEC site: http://www.princetontec.com/contact_form/contact_us

Take care,
PTEC

glad to see there has been changes, because I know it wasn't there before.

More importantly I was never contacted by your company to this day, after several attempts in contacting Princeton tec.